AHL Utica Comets

A Look Back at Clinton Comets Night

Published on December 16, 2013 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release


It was apparent well before the puck dropped this past Friday night that the night was going to be a special one inside the Utica Memorial Auditorium. To an outsider, it may have appeared as another  run-of-the-mill American Hockey League game, with the possibility of a rivalry beginning due to the proximity of Binghamton and Utica. But to someone from the Mohawk Valley, it was much more than that. And for the Utica Comets organization, it was about honoring where it all began.

The Clinton Comets were a staple, and a household name to anyone who watched them play. You ask what seems like anyone from the area about the Clinton Comets and they will give you some sort of story, firsthand or passed down, about how the Comets affected their life. From chairs tossed, to fights in the stands to championship celebrations, this team had it all.

On December 13th, the Utica Comets recognized eight members of the Clinton Comets, who have remained in the Mohawk Valley community long after their playing days and were instrumental in the growth of hockey in the area. With a special pre-game ceremony, the once empty stage end of The AUD became decorated with the numbers of some of the greatest hockey players to put on a Comets sweater.

Dave Armstrong, Archie Burton, Tim Hook, Jack Kane, Tom Mitchell, Borden Smith, Pete Prevost, and the late Ian Anderson were the guests of honor prior to the puck drop between the Comets and Senators. The last time the Comets had won a home game, back in late November, the team had honored Anderson's passing prior to faceoff. Anderson's legacy, that of a champion and an ambassador, seemed to bring a little bit of that Clinton Comet magic back into The AUD, as it did once again on Friday night.

The Comets were able to pull out a big 5-2 win over Binghamton in a game that had older fans thinking of those days at Clinton Arena. When Colin Stuart netted an impressive four goals, fans were whisked back to when a different man with the "C" on his jersey, Kane, used to light up the score sheet. When Darren Archibald laid a huge open hit that caused a stir with the Senators, it was almost like it was Anderson ready to drop the gloves.

The Clinton Comets were EHL champions five times during their 19-year existence, an impressive feat in any league. The Comets paved the way for professional hockey in the area, which led to the Mohawk Valley Comets, amongst others, and eventually AHL hockey with the Devils and present day Comets.  Almost as importantly, the Clinton Comets created memories for hockey fans that kept them coming back to The AUD to this day.

For many hockey fans, the legendary scene from the movie "˜Slap Shot' where the Hanson Brothers went into the stands, fought with the fans and were escorted to the police station was simply that: a scene from a movie. But for the people around these parts, it was just another moment in their hockey history that they will never be forgotten.

And with eight names and numbers now adorning the stage at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, neither will the Clinton Comets.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2013


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